As you may have read here last month, you know that improvisation is more than just an entertaining type of comedy routine. When done well, improv can generate a lot of laughs and be highly entertaining. But I’ve always believed that my taking a year’s worth of improvisation classes makes me a better employee because those classes helped me to: develop better listening skills, think more quickly on my feet, go with the flow in times of chaos and become a stronger team player.

So it was of great interest to read about a Chicago start-up company, Groupon Inc., who has hired several former improvisers to its growing staff. According to Dan Jessup, Groupon’s head recruiter, 25 of its 350 employees have improvisation training. In the article Jessop says, “improvisers are flexible and comfortable when they don’t have all the answers to the information and react.” You can find the full story in the May 24 issue of Crain’s Chicago Business or click here. For more on Groupon, click below.

How about you…what kinds of skills have you gained outside of work that makes you a better employee? Have you added these skills to your resume?

As a sports fan, this is one of my favorite times of the year…playoffs for NBA and NHL teams. Each year, even if my favorite team has been eliminated, I usually pick a team to cheer for throughout the playoffs. This year I’m fortunate to have a team near and dear to me in a drive for the Stanley Cup…the Chicago Blackhawks. Go Hawks!

Just as the seasons in professional baseball, basketball or hockey can be a long grind, you know that the job hunt can be a grind, as well. If you’re like me, your job hunt season has been a long one. According to a Rutgers University survey of one thousand people, just 21 percent of those unemployed last summer had found a job by March (see story from the Huffington Post here).

With this in mind, it’s time for those of us still looking for work to kick our job search into playoff mode. Here’s how:

1. Choose an Anthem. This should be any song that gets your blood pumping and makes you feel more alive and energized. Throughout history, many professional sports teams have had their own anthem that inspires, entertains and motivates them. In 2005, my beloved World Champion Chicago White Sox used Journey’s “Don’t Stop Belivin'” and even invited original Journey singer Steve Perry onto the field when they won the World Series. I also remember (barely) the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates using “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge as their anthem in the World Series.

Some possible anthems could include the “Rocky” theme song, “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor, “Lose Yourself” by Eminem, “Indestructible” by Disturbed, “Rock You Like a Hurricane” by Scorpions, “Best of You” by Foo Fighters, “Right Now” by Van Halen. The list goes on, but I would highly recommend something loud and fast to give you a shot of musical adrenaline.

2. Choose a Mantra. Choosing a mantra such as “ohm” when you meditate can help you focus on your meditation. The same can be true about using a mantra in the job search. Saying your mantra during challenging moments can help you to get through these moments a little easier and faster. Possible mantras can include: “you can’t bring me down,” “each resume I send out gets me closer to my next job,” “crush it!,” “make it happen” or “what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.” It also might be a good idea to put your mantra on a Post-It Note on your computer monitor. This might sound hokey or like a new-age approach to your job hunt, but these reminders can help you stay focused in moments when you need it.

3. Increase your Intensity. If you watch playoff basketball or hockey you know that the energy levels for these playoff games is extremely intense. Most games are extremely physical. The teams that usually win are the ones who bring their “A” game and a great deal of energy. Teams that lose usually appear flat.

Make sure you bring energy and intensity to your job search. This might mean making extra calls, attending more events and making more contacts. This is the time to go above and beyond what you are used to accomplishing…time to turn up the tenacity!!

4. Stay in Shape. Oftentimes, the teams that win in the playoffs are the best conditioned teams. By staying in shape, stretching and preparing, these teams avoid the key injuries and, this ultimately makes the teams tougher to beat. Their conditioning makes it possible to have energy and intensity when it really counts – during the big game.

It’s also important to stay in shape and exercise during the job search. This exercise will likely translate to more energy and intensity on your job search. It will also lead to clearer thinking, better decision making and a more positive, upbeat attitude (see the Wikipedia entry on endorphins here). A good night’s sleep also helps.

5. Make adjustments. In many ways, professional sports can resemble a chess match. Teams that make adjustments to their strategy within games are usually more successful. In basketball, we see this a lot with defensive match ups. The Los Angeles Lakers might want to have Kobe Bryant guard his opponent’s top scorer, but in doing so, it might take away from how well Kobe can score for his own team. No matter what strategic decision is made, what’s more important is the team’s ability to make adjustments if a given strategy isn’t working.

The same is true during the job hunt. If you’ve spent the majority of time in your job hunt responding to online help wanted ads and you’ve gotten little or no response, it’s time to change your strategy. It’s time to make adjustments and spend more time networking and meeting people. It’s time to change things up.

6. Stay Focused. In professional sports, good teams stay focused even when things aren’t going their way during the playoffs. They do not lose their composure or show frustration. These teams have a deep belief in their abilities, an inner compass that steers them toward victory.

Job hunters must keep focused, too. Despite setbacks and a tremendous amount of rejection, successful job hunters need to be resilient and have a short memory. They need to stick to the game plan (or make the appropriate adjustments) and and keep working and moving toward that job. It will happen.

How about you…how have you kicked your job search into playoff mode? I’d love to hear about it.

Creative Commons photo of the original Stanley Cup courtesy of scazon.

It is an honor to have one of my favorite bloggers write the first guest post here at 360 Degree Self. Josh Hanagarne is one of those rare individuals with a combination of brains and brawn and is a seriously talented writer. As someone who has spent considerable time at various Chicago libraries during this job hunt, I have gained a great deal of admiration for librarians and their ability to answer questions and solve problems for all of us.

By Josh Hanagarne

Few things are as much of a drag as job-hunting, particularly when you are desperate and jobs are scarce. The only thing that makes it worse for some people is that so many employers now require applications to be completed online. If you don’t have access to the Internet or your computer knowledge is not as high as you would like, it can be a very frustrating process.

In the library, a great deal of the Internet use is devoted to job searching. Unfortunately, many people come into the library without a clear picture of what online job searching or applications might require.

Here are a few suggestions and observations that will make your experience smoother and help you use your time better.

Learn how to use a mouse. This sounds elementary to anyone who uses a computer, but pretend you are 65 years old and suddenly your circumstances require you to go back to work. Perhaps you’ve never touched a computer in your life. If you have to learn how to use a mouse in the library, your computer time is already ticking away. If you understand what right and left click and double click mean, you’ll be fine.

Have an email account before you come. I’ve yet to see an online application or job-searching service that doesn’t require an email address. Setting up an email account in the middle of the application can suck up a ton of time, especially if you’re not familiar with email.

Have an idea of the types of jobs you’re interested in searching for. If you’re just looking for anything, it makes it harder for librarians to help. It doesn’t mean that we won’t help, but again, if we need to help you focus your job search, it will take time away from the computer.

If possible, brush up on typing skills. I see this lot. If someone has an hour on the computer but they are not a skilled typist, that hour can go by quickly. Your library should have materials to help you learn or practice typing. It can also be done online.

Bring something to save your work on. If you’re writing a resume or any other document, you want to be able to take it with you when you leave. Most public computers do not allow you to save on their hard drives and that would allow the person who comes after you to see your files. Privacy is a big thing. Bring a flash drive if possible. They are affordable and fewer computers will have CD drives in the near future.

Following these steps will make your job searching experience at the library. And it will allow us to help you make the most of your time. If you have friends or family who can help you with any of this prep work, I urge you to make use of them. Most Departments of Workforce Services also offer these services.

Good luck!

Josh Hanagarne

Get Stronger, Get Smarter, Live Better Every Day

About the Author: Josh Hanagarne is the twitchy giant behind World’s Strongest Librarian, a blog with advice about living with Tourette’s Syndrome, kettlebells, book recommendations, buying pants when you’re 6’8″, old-time strongman training, and much more. Please subscribe to Josh’s RSS Updates to stay in touch.

I’m not proud to admit this, but I’ve been laid off three times. I’ve heard someone tell me, “you haven’t made it in advertising unless you’ve been laid off a couple times.” Looking back, I’m not sure I agree with that statement. Throughout this process, I’ve learned many major life lessons from getting laid off, including these ten:

1) Do not take it personal. There might be a million reasons why they let you go…it may not have anything to do with your abilities to do the job.

2) Take time out to sort out your emotions before getting serious with your search.

3) You need to be contributing to the bottom line (and justifying your existence) in your company at all times.

4) It might be a good time to start your own business.

5) Having a light workload might be good for your sanity, but puts you in danger of losing your job.

6) Join Toastmasters. It can help you to not only improve your public speaking skills, but it can also help improve your interview skills and expand your personal network. My biggest regret is not joining Toastmasters sooner.